Intestinal Fatty Acid Binding Protein Levels in Pediatric Celiac Patients in Transition From Active Disease to Clinical and Serological Remission.

Celiac disease (CD) is increasingly diagnosed without endoscopy. As such, the need for accurate serological markers to aid in the diagnosis and follow-up of CD has increased. Intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) is a cytosolic protein present in enterocytes, whose blood levels reflect mucosal damage in a reliable and quantifiable way. The aim of this study was to compare I-FABP levels in newly diagnosed patients with CD and to examine changes in levels following 6 months of gluten-free diet (GFD). Methods: A prospective observational case control study of pediatric patients diagnosed with CD, with measurements of tissue transglutaminase IgA (TTG-IgA) and I-FABP levels at diagnosis and after 6 months of gluten free diet were compared to a control group of nonceliac patients. Results: This study included 35 patients and 32 controls. The CD group had higher I-FABP levels at diagnosis compared with the control group (median 641.7 pg/mL versus 334 pg/mL; P < 0.05). I-FABP levels significantly differed between patients presenting with TTG-IgA level 3-10 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) compared with those presenting with values >10 times ULN (median 432.2 pg/mL versus 796.2 pg/mL; P < 0.05). Patients with CD had a significant decrease in median I-FABP levels after 6 months of GFD (median 268.2 pg/mL), paralleling a decrease in TTG-IgA and GFD adherence. Conclusions: I-FABP levels are increased in patients with CD at diagnosis compared with controls and decrease significantly while patients adhere to GFD.

Use of a Novel Probiotic Formulation to Alleviate Lactose Intolerance Symptoms-a Pilot Study.

Lactose intolerance is a common condition caused by lactase deficiency and may result in symptoms of lactose malabsorption (bloating, flatulence, abdominal discomfort, and change in bowel habits). As current data is limited, the aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of probiotics with a ß-galactosidase activity on symptoms of lactose malabsorption and on the lactose hydrogen breath test (LHBT). The study group comprised eight symptomatic female patients with a positive LHBT. Patients were treated for 6 months with a probiotic formula with ß-galactosidase activity (Bio-25, Ambrosia-SupHerb, Israel). All patients completed a demographic questionnaire as well as a diary for the assessment of symptom severity and frequency at entry, every 8 weeks, and at the end of the treatment period. Measurements of hydrogen (H2) levels (parts per million, ppm) at each of these time points were also performed. End points were a decrease of 50% in symptom severity or frequency, and the normalization (decrease below cutoff point of 20 ppm) of the breath test. Mean age and mean body mass index (BMI) were 36.4 ± 18.6 years and 23.2 kg/m2, respectively. Compared to baseline scores, the frequency of most symptoms, and the severity of bloating and flatulence, improved after treatment. Normalization of LHBT was obtained in only two patients (25%). In this pilot study, Bio-25, a unique formulation of probiotics with ß-galactosidase activity, demonstrated symptom resolution in most patients with lactose malabsorption. A larger randomized trial is warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.

Rising prevalence of celiac disease is not universal and repeated testing is needed for population screening.

Background: Recent studies suggest that the prevalence of celiac disease is rising. We previously established the prevalence of celiac disease in healthy blood donors in 2002. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the prevalence of celiac disease and celiac disease autoimmunity has changed over time by performing a similar prospective study. Methods: Healthy blood donors (n = 1908) were tested for tissue transglutaminase antibodies and for anti-endomysial antibodies when positive. Further evaluation followed accepted criteria for diagnosis. Results: Overall, 32 donors had abnormal tissue transglutaminase antibodies (1.68%). Eight donors had tissue transglutaminase antibodies >3 × upper limit of normal (0.42%), two of them with tissue transglutaminase antibodies >10 × upper limit of normal, while 24 donors had tissue transglutaminase antibodies <3 × upper limit of normal (1.26%). Most of the donors with positive tissue transglutaminase antibodies <3 × upper limit of normal had negative tissue transglutaminase antibodies levels on repeated testing (18/19). Celiac disease was diagnosed in four donors with positive tissue transglutaminase antibodies, establishing a prevalence of 1.68% (95% confidence interval 1.15-2.3) for celiac disease autoimmunity and 0.21% for celiac disease (95% confidence interval 0.07-0.5%). Conclusion: The prevalence of celiac disease in blood donors in Israel did not rise in the last 15 years, suggesting that the increased prevalence of diagnosed celiac disease is mainly due to increased awareness. As most of the donors with elevated tissue transglutaminase antibodies <3 × upper limit of normal were endomysial antibody negative and had a negative tissue transglutaminase antibodies result upon re-testing, repeated tissue transglutaminase antibodies testing is required when screening asymptomatic populations for celiac disease.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth May Increase the Likelihood of Lactose and Sorbitol but not Fructose Intolerance False Positive Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is defined as a bacterial count of more than 105 colony-forming units per milliliter in duodenal aspirate. It shares many symptoms with carbohydrate intolerance, which makes the clinical distinction of the disorders difficult. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between a positive carbohydrate breath test and the presence of SIBO suggested by a positive lactulose hydrogen breath test. METHODS: The electronic database of the gastroenterology laboratory of a tertiary medical center was searched for all patients clinically tested for SIBO in 2012-2013 for whom previous results for lactose, fructose, and/or sorbitol breath test were available. The correlation between positive findings for carbohydrate intolerance and for SIBO was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The study group included 349 patients, 231 female and 118 male, of mean age 53±19 years. All had symptoms of abdominal bloating and gas. There was a statistically significant difference in rates of a positive breath test for lactose and sorbitol at ≤90 minutes between patients who were positive and negative for SIBO [χ2(1)=12.8, p<0.01 and χ2(1)=9.5, p<0.01 respectively]. Findings for fructose were not significant. There was no effect of age or gender. CONCLUSIONS: SIBO may represent an important reversible cause of carbohydrate intolerance. It may be especially prudent to exclude SIBO patients with an early peak (≤90 minutes) in H2 excretion.

Gastric mucin expression in first-degree relatives of gastric cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: There are currently no accepted clinical guidelines for the surveillance of first-degree relatives (FDRs) of gastric cancer patients. The existence of intestinal metaplasia, as well as altered mucin expression, might be associated with an increased risk for gastric cancer. In the present study we aimed to investigate the mucin phenotype of individuals with a family history of gastric cancer. METHODS: We included FDRs of gastric cancer patients. Individuals with functional chest pain served as controls. Upper endoscopy including extensive biopsy according to the Olga protocol was performed. Immunohistochemical staining for MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6 was performed. Sera were assayed for pepsinogen I and II. Helicobacter status was determined through Giemsa staining and serological tests. RESULTS: Forty FDRs and eight controls were included; the mean age was 46.7 ± 12.0 years. In both the study group and the control group there were no gross endoscopic findings and no histological evidence of intestinal metaplasia. Superficial MUC1 expression was significantly increased in the study group (47.5 vs. 0%; P=0.01). There was no difference in the expression of deep MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, or MUC6 between the groups, nor was there a difference in pepsinogen I/II levels or Helicobacter pylori exposure (35.0 vs. 25.0%; P=0.46). CONCLUSION: Despite normal appearing mucosa and the absence of intestinal metaplasia according to histological analysis, FDRs of gastric cancer patients show increased expression of MUC1, which may serve as a predictor of future intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and cancer. Further studies are needed to verify these findings and their implications.